Drying-tray.



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ALFRED M. LANE, 0F ST.

LOUI-S, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TOpMONARCI-I METAL WEATHER STRIP COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

Darme-TRAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. si, isis.

Application led August 2, 1918. Serial No. 248,030.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. LANE, a citizen 0f the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Drying-Trays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trays or frames for drying fruit and the like, andI has for its principal objects to produce such a tray at small cost and to facilitate the replacement of broken parts of the bottom thereof. The invention consists principally in a marginal frame having pockets into which the bottom slats are sprung so as t0 be held in proper spaced relation to each other. 'It also consists in the parts and in the combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and wherein like reference numerals refer t0 like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is mainly a plan view of a tray embodying my invention, certain portions being shown in horizontal sections;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail lengthwise of the tie-rod on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional detail similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification.

The body portion of the tray shown in the drawing comprises a strip 1 of sheet metal bent into the general form of a rectangle with rounded corners and with its ends secured together. The cross-sectional shape of said sheet metal strip 1 comprises two vertically disposed portions 2, 3, offset from each other but connected by a horizontal portion 4, the upper vertically disposed portion 2 being at the inner margin of the horizontal offsetting member 4 and having an outwardly extending flange 5 at its upper edge, and the lower vertically disposed portion being at the outer' margin of the horizontal osetting member and having an inwardly extending liange 6 at its lower edge. By this arrangement, a continuous groove 7 is formed in the outer surface of the upper vertically disposed portion of the strip 1, and a continuous groove 8 is formed on the inner surface of the lower vertically disposed portion of the strip 1. In said upper groove 7 is a metal reinforcing bar 9 which is riveted or preferably spot-welded to the strip 1' so as to increase the strength and rigidity thereof.

Into the lower groove 8 are inserted the ends of slats 10 (preferably made of wood) that constitutel the bottoni of the tray. In order to give the ends of these slats sufricient bearing, it is preferable to have the inturned flange 6 at the bottom of the strip 1 extend inwardly beyond the upper vertically disposed portion of the strip. rlhe slats are preferably made longer than the clear distance between the upper vertically disposed portions of the strips in opposite sides of the frame. In order t0 insert a slat into position, one end of the slat is first pla-ced inthe groove and then the opposite end is swung down until it also is opposite the groove in the opposite side 0f said frame, the slat being meanwhile bent or bowed to shorten the overall length thereof suiiiciently to permit such movement. The natural resiliency of the slat causes it to straighten and thereby elongate sutliciently to insure its staying in place. As the mounting of the slats does not require the frame to be sprung 0r otherwise spread, it is desirable to guard against such spreading by using rods 11 totie together the sides of the frame.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1,

2 and 3, the inner margin of the bottom flange 6 has slits cut therein, and the portion between each pair of slits is bent up to form tongues or distance pieces 12 of the width required for the proper spacing of the slats.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 4, the proper spacing of the slats is provided for fby means of wires 13 whose ends extend from side to side of rthe frame and are repeatedly offset so as to form pockets for the slats and distance members or spacers 14 between said pockets. Preferably the end portions of the wires have horizontally offset portions 15 that rest on the bottom flange of the strip 1, the extreme ends extending through the strip and being upset or otherwise fastened thereto.

The construction hereinbefore described is very simple and cheap to manufacture and is quite rigid and strong. In case any one or more of the slats becomes broken, it may be very quickly and easily replaced; and thus it is feasible to make much larger trays of this construction than would be feasible with trays `wliose entire bottoms must be replaced in case of breakage.

-Gbviously the4 construction hereinbefore described admits of considerable modiication and I do not wish to be restricted to the details of construction shown.

Vhat I claim is:

l. A drying tray comprising a frame of generally rectangular form having `pockets in opposite sides thereof, bendable slats longer than the clear distance between said sides and having their ends extendinginto said pockets, and distance members for spacing said slats.

2. A drying. tray comprising a strip off sheet metal formed into'an open frame having a'eontinuous groove in its inner surface and a continuous groove in theupper portion of its outer surface, a reinforcing bar in Said last mentioned groove and -bendable slats longer thanthe clear distance between the sides of the frame and whose'ends extend into said first mentioned groove.

3. A Vdrying tray comprising a strip of Lsaeoa sheet metal'formed into a frame of generally rectangular form having a continuous groove in its lower inner face, and bendable slats Wider than the clear distance between opposite sides of said frame and having their lends extending into said groove, the lower edge olf said strip having portions thereof slit andbent up to constitute distance pieces between said slats.

4. A drying tray comprising a strip of sheet metal formed into a frame of generally rectangular form having continuous grooves in its lower inner face and in its upper outer face, a reinforcing member in said outer groove, bendable slats wider than the clear distance between said sides and having their ends extending into said inner groove, and distance pieces on said'strips between said slats, the lower edge of said strip extending inwardly farther than the upper portion of said frame.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 30th day of July, 1918.

ALFRED VM. LANE.

Copies of `this patent may be .obtained forfve `cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

